Winston Zeddemore
"I have seen shit that will turn you '''white'!"'' - ''Winston Zeddemore; Ghostbusters'' Dr. Winston Zeddemore was the fourth member to join the Ghostbusters. He saw a job advertisement in the wanted ads, and replied. He was not one of the original three ghostbusters, so in some promotional medias he isn't promoted with the rest. History Ghostbusters Unlike the other three Ghostbusters, Winston was not originally a university professor. Before applying to the Ghostbusters he was an aviator in the Marines electronic warfare division. Winston applied for the job late in the movie after buisness started to pick up. When Janine interviewed him, he didn't give off a good employee attitude. She asked him if he believed in ghosts, the Boogieman or anything supernatural, to which he said he would believe anything as long as the pay was good. Nonetheless, Winston was hired instantly, though it may have been since he was the only one who applied for the job. Through out most of the movie, Winston was merely being trained for his new job, with Egon and Ray showing him how the Storage facility worked, as well as explaining the ins and outs of P.K.E surges. He also seemed confident in his ability to use a Proton pack. Despite being a newcomer, Winston had some very interesting theories about the supernatural. Winston actually talked with Ray about how he wondered if all these ghosts were a sign of the apocalypse, to which Ray was silent with fear. Winston had a major first encounter with the supernatural when he witnessed a storm of ghosts blow off the roof of the firehouse and escape. He and his team worked their way up to Dana's apartment battled Gozer in the form of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. After the evil god was defeated, Winston vigorusly exclaimed that he loved the town. Ghostbusters II Winston lost his job as a Ghostbuster after the team faced a number of charges due to the large amount of collateral damage caused by the battle with Gozer. Like the other members of his team, Winston was forced to take up another job. Winston and Ray kept their Ghostbuster uniforms and acted as birthday entertainers, they always sung their classic song and danced at parties. Unfortunately, the Ghostbusters had become all but a relic of the past and they had very little success in their new job. Winston however managed to get back on team after they were allowed back in after a courtroom confrontation. Winston helped Ray and Egon investigate the mysterious river of slime under the city. He joined the rest of the team in the final battle against Vigo. Ghostbusters: The Video Game ]] Sometime between Ghostbusters 2 and the events of the game, he acquires his doctorates degree. He mentions that he "pretty much lived" in the museums exhibit on ancient Egypt while getting it, so it could be assumed his degree is in Egyptology or History. During their final confrontation, Shandor mocks Winston, saying that he always thought Winston was the "slow" one of the group, much to Winston's surprise. Personality As a part of his employment interview, he had to state that he believed in many paranormal activities, but it is likely that he didn't really believe all of the statements read to him, based on his own admission that he'd believe anything as long as there was a steady paycheck involved. He is also a Christian and discussed the end times with Ray and convinced him that Judgment Day might not be just a myth. According to the official Ghostbusters: The Video Game strategy guide, he is the most spiritual and religious of the Ghostbusters. Additionally, he loves New York city. Winston is something of an everyman who is generally more practical and down-to-earth than his teammates. Trivia *The role of Winston Zeddemore was originally conceived for Eddie Murphy, but the directors later decided that the crew needed a "straight man," and decided casting a fourth comedian to the film would put too much comedic light in the film. *Winston was going to be one of the original Ghostbusters, but it was decided to have him join later to show they needed help to deal with the rising number of spooks thanks to Gozer's impending arrival. *According to the novelization of the first movie, Winston was in the Marines as a helicopter pilot, specifically in the Electronic Warfare testing division. So while he wasn't a scientist, Winston still brought with him a large amount of technical saavy, which was why he adapted to the use of equipment instantly. When he applied for the Ghostbusters he had been out of the service for two weeks, and trying without luck to find a job that could utilize his skills. *In Ghostbusters: The Video Game, it is revealed by Winston himself that he has some degree of experience in paranormal affairs. He put himself through college working as a Fortune Teller on Coney Island. He claims to have "Worn a red velvet cape; it was plush." *Also revealed in Ghostbusters: The Video Game is the fact Winston earned or attempted to earn a Ph.D, assumedly in Egyptology. During their investigation at The Museum of Natural History, Winston comments "Ah, the Egypt Exhibit. I practically lived here while I was working on my doctorate." Whether this occurred prior to the events in the movies, or between then and the video game, is not made clear. *Winston's mother is named Lucille, whom he was living with after his stint in the Marines when he found the Help Wanted ad for the Ghostbusters.. (Mentioned in the novelization.) *According to the recent Manga from Tokyopop, Winston still retains his old Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW), M249 Light Machine Gun from the Marine Corps and keeps it in full working order in case of an emergency that the regular Ghostbusting equipment might not be suited for arises. Winston Zeddemore for the Animated Cartoons Winston's time as a Marine aviator is acknowledged in "The Real Ghostbusters" animated series as he's the one who's almost always flying the Ecto-2 minicopter. His deft piloting skills even saved Egon from certain death by catching him after he was knocked off a building. Animated Winston still maintained the live action version's down-to-Earth, common sense approach to everything. There's really very little difference in attitudes between the two versions. For more information of the animated version of this character go to the animated article. Quotes * "We got the TOOLS! We got the TALENT!!!" * "That's a big Twinkie!" * "I love Jesus' style." * "Ray, when someone asks you if you're a god, you say YES!" * "I love this Town!" * "I have seen SHIT that will turn you WHITE!!!" Gallery Image:Image9.jpg erniehudson.jpg Category: Major character Category:Ghostbusters: TVG Characters Category:Ghostbusters Movie Characters Category:Ghostbusters II Characters